Your Guardian Angel
by Norbert the Dragon
Summary: Picks up on page 235 of Eclipse. Bella goes to La Push for a bonfire and gets hurt. Edward flips. Pure fluff :


Here it is: my first Twilight fic. Merely a little drabble of fluffy crap, written for personal pleasure. It picks up on page 235 of Eclipse, and you will notice some borrowed lined mingled in. Enjoy! After you read, be sure and drop me a line. :)

Disclaimer: All belongs to the wonderfully talented Stephenie Meyer

As Edward drove me toward La Push for the bonfire, I realized that this unprecedented situation felt oddly familiar. It took me a moment of thought to pinpoint the source of déjà vu.

"You know what this reminds me of?" I asked. "It's just like when I was a kid and Renee would pass me off to Charlie for the summer. I feel like a seven year old."

Edward laughed. I didn't mention it out loud, but the biggest difference between the two circumstances was that Renee and Charlie had been on better terms.

About halfway to La Push, we rounded the corner and found Jacob leaning against the side of the red Volkswagen he'd built for himself out of scraps. Jacob's carefully neutral expression dissolved into a smile when I waved from the front seat. Edward parked the Volvo thirty yards away.

"Call me whenever you're ready to come home," he said. "And I'll be here."

"I won't be out late," I promised. He sighed and leaned toward me. I turned my face up for a goodbye peck, but Edward took me by surprise, fastening his arms tightly around me and kissing me with as much enthusiasm as he had in the garage-before long, I was gasping for air. Edward laughed quietly at something, and then let me go.

"Goodbye" He said. As I turned away from him, I thought I saw a flash of something in his eyes that I wasn't supposed to see. I couldn't tell for sure what it was exactly. Worry, maybe. For a second I thought it was panic. But I was probably just making something out of nothing, as usual.

I could feel his eyes on my back as I crossed the short distance toward the invisible vampire-werewolf treaty line to meet Jacob. I knew the exact point I was in werewolf territory because Jacob shoved away from his car and loped quickly over to me, closing the distance in three long strides. He grabbed me up in another vice-tight hug.

I heard the Volvo's engine growl, and I struggled to get free.

"Cut it out, Jake!" I gasped breathlessly.

He laughed and set me down. I turned to wave goodbye, but the sliver car was already disappearing around the curve in the road.

"Nice," I commented, allowing some acid to leak into my voice. His eyes widened into fake innocence.

"What?"

"He's being pretty dang pleasant about this; you don't need to push your luck."

He laughed again, louder than before-he found what I said very funny indeed. I tried to see the joke as he walked around the Rabbit to hold my door open for me.

"Bella," he finally said-still chuckling- as he shut the door behind me, "you can't push what you don't have."

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We talked easily on our way to the bonfire. It felt like ages since I had seen Jacob, and we quickly filled each other in on what we had missed. I listened with avid fascination as Jacob revealed more and more about the rest of the pack. Edward was right; hearing stories about the wolves was as good as listening to a soap opera. Unfortunately for me, Jacob bypassed the usual road toward his house and instead pulled onto a dead end road that backed up to the forest. I could just make out a rough trail leading into the woods that looked deadly from my point of view. My stomach sank.

"We have to hike?" I asked weakly, already envisioning the horrors that were sure to plague me on that trail. Jacob noticed my listlessness and laughed.

"Come on, Bells. You'll be fine. I'll be right beside you. It's just a short hike down the valley to where the bonfire is." He said encouragingly.

"A hill?" I squeaked. My hands were clenched onto the seat. No way was I going to hike down a steep hill in the fast approaching darkness. Jacob laughed again, and turned the engine off. He climbed out of the tiny car, walked around and held my door open. "I see nothing remotely funny about the situation." I said, glaring at him.

"Come on," he said, and pulled me from the Rabbit, leading me into the forest. I reluctantly followed, feeling the familiar sense of claustrophobia as we were swallowed by the tall pine trees. The trail was rough and rocky, and set at a steep incline down into the valley. Gnarled tree roots acted as natural steps, but I still stayed close to Jacob. He tried to make conversation because this was like a walk in the park to him, but I was concentrating on getting down the hill in one piece. I was actually doing pretty well, I thought after a few minutes. As long as I went slowly, it was ok.

Then it happened. One second I was picking my way down the steep ravine and the next I was falling. I tumbled down the hill, flipping over and over. I shrieked as I hit sharp rocks and braches in my way.

"Bella!" I heard Jacob's panicked yell. Less than a second later, I hit level ground and heard a sharp crack. I screamed as pain shot through my body. The world went black.

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The pain was overwhelming. Someone was touching my face, shaking my shoulder. I moaned.

"That's good. Come on Bella, wake up!" Reluctantly my eyes fluttered open and focused on Jacob's face, white with panic.

"Bella! Are you alright? What hurts?"

"My ankle," I groaned. I clenched my teeth together against the horrible sickening pain and pushed my self up on my elbows.

"Let me look at it." Jacob moved to my feet and carefully took my ankle in his huge hands. A look of worry crossed his face.

"I think it's broken, Bells," he said. "It's already swelling. We need to get you to the hospital."

"No…Jake. Just let me call Edward." My head was reeling. I fumbled to pull my cell phone out of my pocket, thankful that Edward's number was number one on speed dial. My hands were shaking so badly I would have never been able to type the number. Jacob stiffened slightly and then sighed, defeated.

"Ok, call the blood suck-Edward, and have him meet us at the boundary line. I'm going to tell Billy what happened and get you some ice. I'll only be gone a second." I nodded, relieved that Jacob hadn't put up a fight. Jacob stooped, covered me with his coat, and took off into the night. I shakily pressed the luminescent one key on my phone and the green call button. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself while the phone connected. Edward picked up on the first ring.

"Bella!"

"Edward, will you come get me?" Even I could tell my voice sounded pinched. Edward inhaled sharply.

"Are you alright? What happened?" He demanded, his voice panicked.

"I hurt my ankle," I moaned.

"I will be at the line in five seconds." I heard an engine rev in the background. I hung up the phone just as Jacob came sprinting back. He had a thick woolen Indian blanket in one hand and a bag of ice in the other.

"Edward will be at the treaty line in five seconds," I told him faintly.

"Ok," he replied. "I'll carry you. Just hang on." He packed the ice firmly around my foot, flinching when I hissed in pain. Then, he wrapped the blanket around me and scooped me into his arms. I only just realized I was shaking from cold. He took off at a brisk run through the forest. I was extremely thankful he knew where he was going because every bush and tree looked exactly the same to me. He kept shooting worried glances at my face. I knew he was doing his best not to jostle me around, but every step was agony. Once, when he leapt over a fallen log, I couldn't help but gasp in pain. I had my fists balled up in his shirt and was trying very hard not to cry. Or puke. Whichever came first.

After what felt like an eternity, I heard the rumble of a car's engine in the distance. I squinted, and could make out Edward's silhouette against the Volvo's headlights. He was pacing. The second Jacob was over the line, Edward was upon us, transferring me into his arms. I felt Jacob stiffen as Edward's cool stone arm brushed his, but for the record, he made no comment. I buried my nose gratefully into his shirt, breathing in his delicious smell. Unlike Jacob, Edward supported me perfectly against his marble chest so I felt no movement, no pain. He hurried to the Volvo and laid me carefully in the backseat. I was extremely relieved that he had the foresight to bring pillows; one went behind my head and one supported my injured foot.

"Let me look at your ankle, love," he said, speaking for the first time. Though he tried to hide it, I could hear a tremor in his velvet voice. His cool fingertips were like feathers, and he handled my foot so gently that I felt no pain at all.

"I'm sure your ankle is broken." His eyes burned with fury.

"It wasn't Jake's fault. Please Edward, don't be mad at him." My voice was weak, hardly a whisper. He sighed, the creases in his forehead smoothing a little.

"I already told Carlisle to meet us at the hospital." He kissed my forehead and tucked the blanket more securely around me. He gently shut the car door, and stalked over to Jacob. Even though the door was shut, I could hear their conversation. Jacob's stance was casual, his arms folded across his chest, but the muscles in his jaw were tight. Edward spoke in a voice so peaceful and gentle that it made the words strangely more threatening. "I'm not going to kill you now, because it would upset Bella. But if you ever bring her back damaged again- and I don't care whose fault it is; I don't care if she merely trips, or if a meteor falls out of the sky and hits her in the head- if you return her to me in less than the perfect condition that I left her in, you will be running with three legs. Do you understand that, mongrel?"

Jacob rolled his eyes.

"Feel better Bells," he called, and sprinted back into the trees. Suddenly, Edward was in the driver's seat, turning the car around and accelerating down the dark road.

"I told you to be nice. It wasn't his fault," I said weakly. He ignored me.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine." I could tell he didn't believe me because the car sped up noticeably, going much faster than I normally preferred.

I must have fallen asleep because suddenly Edward was stroking my hair and softly calling my name. "We're at the hospital, Honey." My eyes fluttered open. Edward's face, beautiful as it was, was paler than usual. His face was so close to mine that his cool breath saturated the air. I breathed deeply, drinking in the soothing smell. "Are you in a lot of pain?" He asked as he wrapped is arms around me and lifted me effortlessly from the car. I shook my head, but again his expression was doubtful. Because of the late hour, the emergency room lobby was almost empty. Carlisle was waiting for us just inside the automatic doors.

"Hey Bella," Carlisle said sympathetically. "What have you done to yourself this time?"

"She went down to LaPush and broke her ankle," Edward said, his tone steely.

"Bring her through here. I'll take x-rays and see what's going on." Carlisle said, escorting us through large swinging doors and down the hall. From my position in Edward's arms, all I could see was a block of fluorescent light every time we walked under a light. I was exhausted, and the blaring lights were making my head hurt. I closed my eyes and buried my face into Edward's chest. "Go to sleep, love." He said, kissing my hair. Almost immediately, I felt myself sinking into darkness.

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I felt like I had been asleep for days. I was groggy and disoriented and my head felt heavy, like I was floating in a jar of marshmallow fluff. I groaned softly and tried to make my body respond.

"She's waking up," a voice said. I finally prized my eyes open and struggled to figure out where I was. Immediately, Edward was at my side, caressing my hair with his cold fingers.

"Bella, how do you feel?" He asked worriedly, cupping my cheek in his hand. It took me a moment to assess. My left ankle was encased in a purple cast from my toes to my knee and was elevated on several pillows. It wasn't hurting as bad as before, which explained the IV in my hand that was clearly supplying pain medication.

"Good," I said tiredly, wincing as my voice grated against my raw throat. "Good, but tired." Edward brought a glass of water to my lips and held the straw so I could drink. I sipped eagerly. Satisfied, he stepped back and I was able to see the rest of the room. Alice and Jasper were sharing a blue fold out recliner in the corner, Emmett was standing by the window, and Rosalie was by the TV. Esme crossed the room and perched daintily on the side of my bed. My face burned.

"You all didn't have to come," I said awkwardly, but Esme patted my arm comfortingly.

"Edward called and said you were hurt so we came right away. Carlisle and Charlie were here for a while but they stepped out to get some air. I'm sure they will be back soon."

"How long was I asleep?" I asked. My sense of time was way off. "What time is it now?"

"It's four in the morning," He said. "You were out awhile. You fell asleep and Carlisle gave you anesthesia so you wouldn't wake up when he set your ankle. We weren't sure when you were going to wake up." He replaced Esme on the side of my bed. I tilted my face up and he kissed me fully on the lips. Soon I couldn't breathe, and he pulled away. I frowned, and he laughed. "You look exhausted. Try to go back to sleep." Sleep sounded wonderful. I closed my eyes. Edward softly hummed my lullaby and I fell asleep once more.

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The next morning, Edward drove me home in the Volvo. Charlie had to work and, after checking me out of the hospital, left in his patrol car. Edward drove home quickly, and kept worrying aloud that I was hurting. I assured him I wasn't; just a little sore. My ankle felt much better now that it was in a cast, and Carlisle had made sure I had plenty of pain medication. The minute we pulled into the driveway, he was on the other side of the car, unbuckling my seat belt and lifting me from the car. The hospital supplied me with crutches, but I had yet to use them because Edward insisted on carrying me everywhere. He carried me into the house and upstairs to my room, and laid me on my bed as carefully as if I were a fragile china doll and would break at the slightest touch. He piled pillows behind my back and under my foot before settling next to me.

"Are you in pain?" He asked, for what felt like the millionth time. I didn't answer, only pulled is face down to mine and kissed him firmly. At first he stiffened, but then relaxed, giving in to the kiss. The cold point of his tongue slowly traced the shape of my lips. He slid down, raining kisses on my collar bone and throat. Slowly, so that I felt none of his weight, he rolled over and laid his chest on mine and listened to my heartbeat. My heart began to race, beating erratically and he chuckled.

"Aren't you tired? I should let you sleep."

"No, I'm not." I grumbled, and tried to kiss him again. This time, we kissed more slowly, until I was gasping for breath.

"Sleep, my Bella. Dream happy dreams. You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. It will always be yours. Sleep, my only love."

He started to hum my lullaby, and I knew it was only a matter of time until I succumbed, so I closed my eyes and snuggled closer into his chest.

_fin_


End file.
